A couple of things have provoked the title to this post. First, there was a small report in The Mail that there was to be something of an exposure of the late, unlamented (well, unlamented by me!) Ralph Miliband, the ultra-Marxist father of the Miliband brothers. It will come in the form of some of his hitherto unpublished writings and in them it exposes with gleaming clarity his utter detestation of Britain, the country that provided him and his father with refuge. Hatred of one's own country is not exactly rare, one only has to think of Philby et al, and if one is, so to speak, an adopted 'outsider' then the hatred can be explicable - ask any young Muslim on his way to Syria! Even so, given the number of exceedingly rare (look around the world and see how many you can count!) political, social and legal virtues to be enjoyed in these islands as a result of everything that has flowed since Magna Carta, it is a sign of blinkered stupidity to positively hate this country - bits of it, yes; all of it, no!
The second prod I received was more specific to my title in that it concerns president Obama, himself. A nasty, bitter, three-way row has broken out between the White House, Israel and the Congress now under Republican leadership. It has been clear for some years that in foreign policy, as in domestic policy, Obama and his regime are sickened by America's history and that they are determined to uproot everything that has gone before. Thus, Israel, almost Uncle Sam's adopted child since its inception, has been cast forth into the wilderness. Of course, it has its faults and it has made its mistakes but on the whole you would expect a beleaguered democratic state fighting for its very existence in a sea of hateful, undemocratic, Islamic enemies to be assured of general American support. Well, not from this President and this Democratic party!
The current events are these: John Boehner, the Republican House Chairman, upset the White House by unilaterally inviting Netanyahu to address the Congress. Obama had a hissy fit because he was not consulted and anyway he detests Netanyahu, so he let it be known that the Israeli PM would not be invited to enjoy one of Michelle's healthy-diet dinners! Then the White House leaked a confidential report purporting to show that the head of Mossad had told some American Senators privately that, in contradiction to his own PM, he was not in favour of imposing further sanctions on Iran as a means of getting them to cut a deal on their nuclear programme. This 'story' has now been rapidly withdrawn and denied but Jonathon Tobin at Commentary suggests that there may be internal Israeli politics at play as well as the fun and games in Washington.
Even so, it is now clear beyond argument that if you are an old-style democracy under pressure you should not expect immediate tea and sympathy from the current White House. On the other hand, if you are a murderous, fanatical, anti-western, Islamist state then President Obama will hold your hand and comfort you. I am ashamed but forced to admit that in this creepy, unnatural courtship, Obama is aided and abetted by 'Dim Dave' who, presumably with White House encouragement, interfered in internal American politics by personally ringing several Congressmen to persuade them to follow their President's bidding - just as he was!
So that, in a micrcosm, is the bright, shiny, new American foreign policy - fuck your friends and suck your enemies!
A good title for this piece for sure. Our naked emperor, Comrade Obama, is a true believer from academe's anti America mind set. Though he is too young to be one, he is the last best hope of the 1960s radicals. A "Red Diaper baby" of sorts. He is Leftism's final spit in the face of mainstream adult authority. PM Cameron should know that.
Mr. Boehner's invite of Netanyahu is a master stroke. The Congress of the People's representatives need to be addressed by a leader of stature who is principled, and patriotic. That duty has traditionally fallen to the President of the United States, but we have Comrade Obama. Obama hates BiBi because BiBi is a leader and a man. Obama is neither. It will be two more years before we are rid of that red bastard. Our friends and allies will have to wait him out.
Posted by: Whitewall | Friday, 23 January 2015 at 15:53
G'day Whitewall. Could be a tough two years for those who were once allies of the "old" USA. On the other hand it could be a good thing for us as we will have to put more money into our own security. As for Israel if I were a goat shagger I'd think twice about taking on Israel. In the words of Golda Meir "We Israelis have nowhere to go so we may as well fight". And they do that very efficiently.
Posted by: AussieD | Saturday, 24 January 2015 at 04:32
The correct wording is;
The only place we could run was into the sea, and before we did that we might as well fight.
Posted by: AussieD | Saturday, 24 January 2015 at 05:35
Absolutely right, David. And while you'll generally find more backbone in one of our Wellfleet tide-pools than in the Republican Congressional caucus, John Boehner showed a rare flash of vertebrae with the Netanyahu invitation.
In my opinion, this administration will be looked back upon as the final turning point, as the time in history when the arc of American greatness turned at last from ascent to irrevocable decline, and ultimately to decay and disintegration. It will be seen as the moment when, under the leadership of a vainglorious man of low character, full of seething resentment and base ambition, the fatal and inevitable weaknesses of democracy finally overcame a once-great nation and people.
Posted by: Malcolm Pollack | Saturday, 24 January 2015 at 19:28
AussieD..g'day yourself. I remember the late 1970s under Jimmy Carter and the feel was much the same. My elders still talk of the Great Depression years and the gloom they felt as the years dragged on. I'm not much for giving up and I sure as hell won't let things go without a knock down drag out fight. It's the stock I descend from. I don't know if you caught it the other day, but the ADDITIONAL at the bottom of the post our "fine upstanding" host wrote called Sniping at American Sniper, was very instructive. Not only was it concerning the movie but it spoke of the culture(s) within it. There is also a link within the review by Walter Russell Meade about this culture. The link in question is long, so if you attempt it, bring along 3 or 4 spare sets of eyeballs. This link is talking about my people warts and all.
Posted by: Whitewall | Saturday, 24 January 2015 at 20:12
Ah now. Whitewall ye'll be forgivin' of me won't ye?
We're two steeped as we are in the "just knowing" the ins and the outs about the traditions it took me a while to take notice of what you was on about.
Late to the party I'll join in recommedin' all y'all others of other places seekin' a truer inderstandin of why Whitewall and now I be recommendin' y'all read that Mead linkining.
____________
An Whitewall?
Easiest way to incite a little splinter into David's (or what passes for one) David's mind is to d'rect his eyes to A Battle.
But ... not jes any ol' Battle.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Kings_Mountain
Posted by: JK | Saturday, 24 January 2015 at 21:28
An' simply for convenience
http://denbeste.nu/external/Mead01.html
Posted by: JK | Saturday, 24 January 2015 at 21:30
JK...Battle Of King's Mountain you say? That is a couple hours south west of here. It is a few miles west of where my wife comes from and her paternal side settled and remain today. That side of her family directly involved in the fight(s)carry the last name Jackson...yes, of that line. They are a people who are described in that link we talked about yesterday. If there was ever a fight to be had, traditionally they were in it for keeps.
Posted by: Whitewall | Sunday, 25 January 2015 at 17:05